Philip Jonathan Lee

Philip Jonathan (‘Phil’) Lee was a consultant in metabolic medicine at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London. Originally a specialist in paediatrics, he later became known for his work in pioneering services for adults with inherited metabolic disorders. Born in Münster, Germany, he was the son of Basil Edward Lee, a GP, and his wife, Suzanne Maria. The family returned to the UK when he was three weeks old and settled in Putney. Educated at King’s College School, Wimbledon, he studied at Nottingham University Medical School.

After qualifying in 1986 he did house jobs at Worcester Royal Infirmary and then at University College Hospital in Nottingham. Initially he trained in paediatric medicine and spent two years, from 1987 to 1989, on the paediatric rotation in Cardiff at the University Hospital in Wales and the Cardiff Royal Infirmary. He then spent six months at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London before moving to Merseyside as a paediatric registrar. On his return to London in 1992, he spent two years as a clinical research fellow at the Institute of Child Health before moving to St George’s Hospital as a clinical lecturer in the department of child health.

Appointed a senior registrar in the metabolic unit at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in 1996 he became, the following year, honorary consultant in paediatric metabolic medicine both at Great Ormond Street and University College London hospitals. Finally he joined the staff of the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery as a consultant in metabolic medicine.

The author of well over 30 scientific papers in his two specialties, he also contributed, jointly, four chapters in books including to such significant textbooks as Clinical paediatric endocrinology 3rd ed, edited by C G D Brook (Oxford, Blackwell, 1995) and The Oxford textbook of medicine 3rd ed (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2001).

He was a committee member of the British Inherited Metabolic Disease Group, a council member of the Society for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism and medical advisor to the Association for Glycogen Storage Disease. As a member of a sub-committee of the Joint Committee for Higher Medical Training he worked to establish metabolic medicine as a specialty recognised by the medical Royal Colleges.

A keen sportsman and a lifelong Chelsea supporter, he co-founded the Teddington Athletic Football Club (TAFC) in 2006 and, during the next five years, served as secretary, chairman and director of football at various times, latterly becoming a referee. The TAFC became an important cornerstone of local life and it expanded rapidly from three age groups to 19 teams. He also won prizes for his dancing skills including winning the Northern university cha cha championships in his student days.

In 1991 he married Rosemary Anne (‘Roz’) née Lovell who is a GP and they had a son and daughter. Devoted to his family, he compressed his working hours to four days a week in order to spend more time with them. When he was diagnosed with lung cancer, three years before he died, he took a very positive attitude and determined to make the most of the time he had left. The gentle open nature he had shown to his patients revealed itself again when he himself was being nursed. He was survived by Roz and his children and his sister Alix.

RCP editor

[This is London www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/9230609.Family_pay_tribute_to_dancing_doc_Philip_Lee - accessed 22 April 2013]